Ministry of Defence

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Current revision as of 10:39, 23 July 2007

MI Summary

Sustainable Development

The UK Government, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Administration have agreed upon a set of shared guiding principles that provide a basis for sustainable development policy in the UK.

These are achieving the goals of:

Living within Environmental Limits
Ensuring a Strong, Healthy & Just Society

By the means of:

Achieving a Sustainable Economy
Using Sound Science Responsibility
Promoting Good Governance

The UK has four priority areas for immediate action, shared across the UK, these are:

Sustainable Consumption and Production
Climate Change and Energy
Natural Resource Protection and Environmental Enhancement
Sustainable Communities

The Government also recognises that changing behaviour is a cross cutting theme closely linked to all of these priorities. (1)

MOD's Approach to Sustainable Development

MOD will continue to support the UK Sustainable Development Strategy in order to promote and contribute to national progress against the sustainability priorities.

Each key Central Government department was asked to identify some of their high level contributions to delivering this Strategy and to produce a Sustainable Development Action Plan by the end of 2005.

MOD pledged to support the strategy by:

1. Placing sustainable development at the heart of decision-making. The Department contributes significantly to the delivery of the SDiG strategies, particularly in the areas of acquisition (the Department uses a number of recognised best practice tools), estate management (including promotion of best practice in energy management) and active promotion of access to defence land where possible.

2. Providing an estate of the right size and quality, which is managed and developed effectively in line with acknowledged best practice and is sensitive to social and environmental considerations.

3. Reducing MOD's contribution to global warming in line with Government led objectives. In the UK, MOD currently purchases 6% of its electricity from renewable sources exempt from the climate change levy and is committed to increasing this percentage by 1% per year up to the SDiG Framework target of 10%.

4. Working to meet the Framework's Biodiversity Targets and the Government Public Service Agreement (PSA) target, shared with Defra, through our SSSI Favourable Condition Project (first phase reported in September 2004).

5. Rolling out a corporate Environmental Management System since 2001 for all our sites in the UK, and adopting the SDiG Framework Target to implement EMS across 80% of our (non-office/mixed) estate by 31 March 2006.

6. Reporting publicly on sustainable development impacts including performance against targets. The MOD annual Sustainable Development report will set out performance against sixteen headline indicators, identified as significant by the Department. These indicators will be reviewed on an annual basis. The report will reflect the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines for best practice in SD reporting and will be publicly available through MOD's webpage. The report will also link to existing MOD reports (e.g. Annual Stewardship Report, Sanctuary and Historic Buildings Report) that address key aspects of the SD Agenda.

(2)

MOD's Approach to Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG)

A key focus for sustainable development in Government is the “greening operations” agenda (estate, facilities management and procurement).

Because of its large “footprint” the MOD has a considerable part to play in greening operations through the effective management of the defence estate. The Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate (SDiG Framework -2002) is a mechanism for improving and reporting sustainability performance. Departments must develop strategies to meet a suite of cross-Government targets for Environmental Management Systems, performance reporting, waste, water, energy, procurement, travel, estate management, biodiversity and social impacts. The framework contains guidance in support of achieving targets.

Although the SDiG framework is primarily estate-focused, MOD’s response to the suite of targets will incorporate wider themes where appropriate to help ensure sustainable development is integrated into all MOD activities. All MOD organisations including the Services, Defence Estates, Acquisition and Logistics and The Trading Fund Agencies will be drafting and implementing supporting strategies or implementation plans to deliver the MOD Strategic Framework responses and Strategies, monitor performance and report comprehensively against the MOD Sustainable Development indicators.

The MOD's approach to Sustainable Development focuses on a series of outcomes to securing the future. When MOD strategies and statements are published they will be located with the Sustainable Development Document Library.

1. Sustainable Consumption and Production

Construction;
Estate Procurement;
Timber Procurement;
Waste;
Refridgements and Ozone Depletion Substances;
Estate Disposals;

2. Climate Change and Energy

Travel;
Energy;
Nuclear;
Estate Adaptation to Climate Change;

3. Natural Resource Protection and Environmental Enhancement

Water;
Land Remediation;
Biodiversity;
Heritage;
Noise;

4. Sustainable Communities

Social Impacts;
Access and Recreation;

5. Policy Making & Standard Setting

Environmental Management Systems (EMS); (to be developed)
Communication; (to be developed)

(3)